Hola, Woof column readers! As always, welcome back to my corner, and thank you for supporting Dallas Voice and our community.
For this column, I would like to discuss some conditions and issues that can affect the reproductive organs of our dogs and cats. They can have many conditions that affect us humans as well, but some are different, and some may be managed completely differently than in human medicine with the human counterparts.
Let us start discussing some issues that can affect our female kitties and pups.
When it comes to female dogs, a common issue is the infamous hooded or recessed vulva. This means these pups have a bit of extra skin covering their private parts, leading to irritation or infection. It’s like wearing a turtleneck that’s just too snug around the lady parts!
Unfortunately, these girls are more susceptible to urinary tract infections, especially if hygiene isn’t maintained. Your veterinarian can check to see if your little doggy girl has this issue, and, if so, they might suggest using pet wipes to keep the genital area clean.
In more severe cases, surgery to remove the excess skin might be recommended, which would be like a facelift for the other end.
Now, let’s talk about the heat cycles. Female dogs experience these “periods” roughly every six months while female cats might enter heat multiple times a year.
These heat cycles can lead to a serious condition called pyometra, where the uterus fills with bacteria and pus about a month or two after a heat cycle. It’s more common in older females but can happen at any age.
Symptoms include green discharge from the privates (vulva), lethargy, vomiting and excessive drinking. Please know that you may not see discharge from the vulva and your dog could still have pyometra. This is a life-threatening condition that needs to be addressed with a more complex spay surgery that could also be associated with higher risks for the kiddo.
Both female dogs and cats can develop cancers affecting their reproductive organs, such as ovarian, uterine and breast cancer. A traditional spay surgery removes the ovaries and uterus, eliminating the risk of cancers in these specific organs. While they can still develop breast cancer, spaying at a younger age may reduce this risk.
Unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter recommendation for a specific age when an animal should be spayed, especially because different dog breeds have different biological behaviors that may or may not make them more prone to certain reproductive types of cancer. Newer research evidence shows that certain breeds may benefit from being spayed as young adults, but that can also present higher post-op risks based on the size of the dog when fully grown.
Please discuss with your veterinarian what age is ideal for your kiddo to be spayed, knowing that most of us recommend spaying most breeds between 5 and 6 months of age.
Moving on to the males, dogs can show a rather unappealing issue: smegma. This is the fancy term for a greenish discharge that comes from the prepuce of male dogs, especially if they are intact (meaning the ones that are not neutered). While it rarely means that there is an infection present, it might warrant a visit to your veterinarian if your kiddo is licking his penis excessively. Fun, right?
Here is an interesting fact: Male dogs quite literally honor the term “boner,” as they have a bone in their penis called the os penis. This bone can cause trouble if bladder stones develop and go into the urethra, potentially leading to urinary tract obstructions as these stones travel through the urethra and towards the bone in the penis.
If you ever see your male dog or cat trying to urinate and just straining or maybe even screaming while trying to urinate, please run to an animal ER as this can lead to life threatening issues!
Male cats, on the other hand, do not have an os penis, but their tiny urethras can easily be blocked by bladder stones or grit, causing severe pain and difficulty urinating.
Just like their female counterparts, male dogs and cats can also develop different types of cancer associated with the reproductive organs, including testicular and prostatic cancers. Cats and dogs with testicles that may have not descended or “dropped” are far more prone to developing testicular cancer associated to the testicle that did not descend.
Neutering ahead of time (where both testicles are surgically removed) will avoid testicular cancer and will minimize the chances of them acquiring prostatic diseases and prostatic cancer.
While I am highlighting some of the common issues associated with reproductive organs, please be aware that there are more conditions and issues that can affect our kiddos and their reproductive organs. If you have any concerns with your dog or cat’s health, please consult with your veterinarian or with me at Isla Vet.
I truly hope this information can be beneficial to my pet parents that are reading this, and as always, abrazos for everyone.
Dr. Josh owns Isla Veterinary Boutique Hospital, 14380 Marsh Lane, Ste. 110 in Addison. Call him at 972-738-1111 or go online to IslaVet.com.